


No Rest for Weary Heroes: Reunited

by CloudedSkies_OpenEyes



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, XCOM (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Character tags added as needed, Dragon Age Characters reborn into XCOM, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Reincarnation AU, Will Contain OCs, relationship tags added as needed, slow updates due to dependence on playing through XCOM missions, tags in general added as needed, thankfully i have a partner to help me on that at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 15:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudedSkies_OpenEyes/pseuds/CloudedSkies_OpenEyes
Summary: Hawke. Tethras. The two names were practically synonymous with each other from day one. Business partners. Companions. Best Friends. Those who knew them always said that, in another life, the two could’ve been more than that, maybe even Soulmates. They had no idea how right they were. In another life, practically a universe away through Space and Time, these two souls find each other again when their home is invaded by aliens. The names are different, but the souls are the same and it’s business as usual: fighting to survive and protect what they care about. Maybe this time he won’t let her slip away from him.akaYears after the defeat of Corypheus, thus years after Ariane Hawke sacrifices herself to save the Inquisitor and Stroud, Varric dies in his sleep due to Bianca poisoning him out of bitter mercy. He and Hawke, along with a number of other notable figures, are reborn, and life is practically mundane what with the lack of magic and dragons. And then the Elders invade and ADVENT seizes the world. Fate brings them all together under the call of the Resistance, under the banner of XCOM. Fighting to save their world? Sounds like a Tuesday, just minus the abominations, blood mages, red templars, and Darkspawn.





	No Rest for Weary Heroes: Reunited

**Author's Note:**

> \- VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!!!
> 
> \- This is very slow going, due to me and a friend playing a few simultaneous run throughs of XCOM War of the Chosen, for mission purposes and such because f*** me but I want to make this as true to XCOM WotC as I can.
> 
> \- There will be OCs, canonical character death, and some minor exploration of the Commander possibly having minor Reset abilities thanks to the (essentially) mind-rape she suffers for 20 years as ADVENT's tactics simulator.
> 
> \- I adore the Bond mechanics of WotC, so I'm going to harp on them A LOT. That being said, there will be straight/gay/lesbian/other pair ups, both platonic and romantic. Don't like? Then don't read.
> 
> \- This is a gift for my aforementioned XCOM playing partner MayMaytheCalico, who insists she's incapable of writing (liar, her poetry is wonderful) and thus begged me to write an XCOM-centered fanfic for her. I agreed as long as I could make it a crossover, which she squealed and strangled me in a hug for.Okay MayMay, we've broken ground...Foundation time.

_“Say goodbye to Varric for me.”_

_“Where’s Hawke?”_

Those two sentences were engraved on Inquisitor Ivanna Evervale’s heart, a fresh scar no matter how much time passed. She knew neither speaker blamed her for what had transpired, _no one did…_ other than herself. She had been too slow to stop Ariane Hawke from throwing herself at the Nightmare demon in a suicidal distraction to force Stroud to drag her out of the Fade. She had rendered Hawke’s sacrifice partially moot by turning the Grey Wardens away, unable to stomach their presence when their actions were root reason the group had been in the Fade in the first place. She hadn’t been able to truly comfort Varric Tethras in his grief, hadn’t even been able to work up the nerve to offer her condolences to the rest of Hawke’s remaining family and companions until after Corypheus had been slain.

She hadn’t even worked up the courage to see and pay respects to Hawke’s memorial in Kirkwall until after the machinations of her once dear friend Solas were uncovered.

Ironically enough, all this made her feel so very much inferior to the dwarf that was now before her to be judged. After all, Bianca had killed Varric, and yet she may very well have given him the peace Ivanna could never manage.

“Bianca Davri of House Davri…you stand before me accused of murdering a high-ranking member of the Inquisition, one Varric Tethras of House Tethras. The method of murder has been identified as poison. How do you plead?”

There was no fear or shame in Bianca’s face as she solidly met Ivanna’s gaze, but the elf was almost grateful to see a flicker of understanding in the dwarf’s eyes. “I do not deny that I poisoned Varric. However, I do deny having committed murder.”

Ivanna closed her eyes for a moment; she suspected she knew what Bianca was going to say next. “And what would you call what you have done?”

“I gave him the out he was looking for, has been looking for ever since Ariane Hawke died. Call it assisted suicide if you want, but I call it the only mercy I could give a grieving man.”

Ivanna almost laughed as she took in how many people shifted uncomfortably at the reminder that Varric had never really recovered from Hawke’s loss, no matter how well he acted otherwise. Instead she stared solemnly, silently, at Bianca for a long moment.

An understanding settled between them. They both knew, hoped, Bianca had done the kindest thing she could for Varric. But the fact remained that Bianca had a direct hand in the death of the current Vicount of Kirkwall, head of an influential Dwarven Merchant Guild house. There were too many ramifications for Ivanna to just let Bianca go.

The elf took a single look around the room and found her gaze lingering on Thom Rainer, bitter irony bubbling up inside her. Wardens had a direct part to play in causing this situation, and now she was going to rely on the only Warden she trusted to give the only thing close to a peaceful resolution this trial could have.

“Warden Thom Rainer, come forward.” Understanding lit several faces as the man did as asked, his solemn expression matching her own. “Though you were not a warden at the time of the Siege of Adamant, in which Ariane Hawke was lost to us, you stood representative of the best traits of the Grey Wardens then, as you do in truth now. As a Grey Warden whom I am wholly certain is uncorrupted, I ask what you believe would be an acceptable resolution to this situation.”

Rainer stood a little taller as he replied, hands spread almost beseechingly. “Varric was friend and supporter of this Inquisition, and to us personally. But there is no denying the truth to Bianca Davri’s words. He suffered a blow he never recovered from with the death of Ariane Hawke, and the world has now lost two of its most skilled heroes. On top of this, Bianca Davri’s skills as a smith would be a sorely wasted resource should she be executed. With the Order in desperate need of rebuilding thanks to not only the treachery of Loghain Mac Tir, but the culling Corypheus set in motion, I would, of course, offer up the Rite of Conscription as a viable option. Considering the circumstances of Varric’s death, I would also say it is the most prudent option available.”

Nodding to him, Ivanna turned to her advisors. Josephine was holding back tears and Divine Victoria, or Leliana, looked deeply pained. Cullen was frowning a bit, but he gave her a supporting nod, as Ivanna had guessed he would. Her husband had never really liked Bianca, not since it was revealed that she was the reason the Red Lyrium had become so wide-spread so quickly, but he’d always been respectful of the fact that the female dwarf was important to Varric. He didn’t necessarily want to spare Bianca for killing Varric, but that same respect for the deceased dwarf kept him from opposing the merciful punishment.

It was Leliana who spoke for the two women advisors. “The Rite seems to be the fairest punishment we can give in this situation, given the personal nature of this loss. Should she become a Grey Warden, she will serve her penance among the Inquisition. Should she perish in the process, it will be in the Maker’s hands to grant her mercy.”

With one last nod, Ivanna made the verdict. “Then, I give Bianca Davri’s custody to Warden Thom Rainer, with the understanding that she will serve amongst the Inquisition should she survive their initiation.”

As the trial ended, Ivanna looked out the nearest window to send a prayer up to the stars. _This is all I can do, Varric. Be it by the grace of the Gods, the Ancestors, or Andraste herself, I pray you find peace in Eternity with Hawke at your side. Dareth shiral, Lethallin._

…-…-…-…-…

Amber eyes blink open, their owner sitting up to hold his head for a second as the dream he just had muddied his mind. But even as he tried to review it, a lot of the details became blurry and hard to recall. What he could recall clearly were little snatches.

The sight and feel of an intricate crossbow in his hands. A lithe, beautiful woman in leather and armor with bright silver-blue eyes and a heart-broken smile, reaching a hand toward him in welcome. An elf-like female dressed in clearly mourning clothes, kneeling before a memorial statue of the first woman. A very short, stout woman, hooded and cloaked in shadow, sitting across from him with a sad and bitter smile and pair of old-fashion tankards between them. And a single voice, soft and sorrowful, canting in prayer.

_This is all I can do, Varric. Be it by the grace of the Gods, the Ancestors, or Andraste herself, I pray you find peace in Eternity with Hawke at your side. Dareth shiral, Lethallin._

“Huh…I should probably lay off the whiskey nightcaps after grading…” Raising his head to stare out his apartment window at the low-hanging full moon, he couldn’t help but feel some lingering curiosity and an unexplainable longing. “…Wonder where I’ve seen those women before… And the names sounded familiar too…”

A country away, a woman awoke to the by now familiar feeling of melancholy and homesickness that couldn’t be explained. Crawling out of the tent so she wouldn’t wake up her siblings, she made her way to the ancient, sprawling and gnarled hazel tree nearby and laid back on its bent trunk so she could stare at the stars.

_That dream again… Maybe Mother was right. My imagination is over-active… But it always feels so real… The fighting, the laughter, the tears… His sorrow always seems so real… Varric and Hawke… Are they really something I could just make up on a whim when I was little?_

She lifted a hand to trace non-sensical patterns in the stars, smiling faintly as she pictured a large hand clad in leather, flipping the full moon like a golden coin. _I guess at the very least, they’re good muses for my writing class. Speaking of which, I hope Professor Quarrel was serious when he said he didn’t mind me submitting the assignment two weeks early. Especially since I’m an online student…_

Under the moon’s gentle glow, two souls, tied by dreams of a life long past but not forgotten, drift back into slumber with no idea that they would soon begin their story anew. There’s no rest for weary heroes after all.

TBC...

**Author's Note:**

> \- A reminder, updates will be slow as I'm relying on mine and MayMay's playthroughs of XCOM WotC for mission details and other things I feel are necessary to the story. Please be patient with me.


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